Category: Beauty

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Beauty

Summer-proof your skin

Skin care for the summer is really about revisting the basics to achieve great skin – cleansing, exfoliating and moisturising.
by Glen Lewis

Spring cleaning doesn’t just have to be for your home or office – you can also do it for your skin! And the summer season always brings new battles for your skin care.

With summer upon us, it’s good to get into a healthy skin regimen so that you can stay beautiful no matter what the weather is outside.

Winter can be a horrible time to dry out your skin in all that cold weather and leave you with rough or even scaly feeling patches that you want to get rid of (especially when you can finally lose the coat). The most important thing you can do in this season is try out different products and see which ones are right for you, so that by the time the temperatures really kick in, you know exactly what your skin needs so you can protect it from the heat and the sun’s rays.

Exfoliate

The first step in any healthy skin regimen is to exfoliate. If your skin is feeling a little dry and irritated from the cold winter, you want to make sure you still use an exfoliant, but don’t overdo it, because it could do more harm than good. Finding a gentle cleanser that will clear away any impurities from your skin while not drying out your skin too much will be the perfect balance your skin needs in order to bring back its healthy glow. In order to get that glow you want, you have to clear away the dead skin cells and repair the damaged areas.

Hydration

After exfoliating, it is essential to hydrate your skin. The best thing to do is to find a moisturiser that is hydrating and not oily. You want to repair and prevent, not overcompensate with a product that has too much of a lotion base.

Clearing the dead skin away and then helping your skin retain moisture will give you the fresh face you want for spring and put you in a great routine for when summer rolls around. It would be best to find a moisturiser that has SPF to use in the morning so that it can protect your skin during the day when you’re exposed to the sun. It also has beneficial vitamins that will make your skin brighter and smoother.

Focus on your whole body

Your skin care shouldn’t focus only on your face – your entire body could benefit from some exfoliation and hydration. With a body wash containing exfoliating beads, you take care of the rest of your body, too. And finding a body lotion that repairs all that dryness can be the perfect combination to leave you looking and feeling fresh during these warm days.

By repairing the damage caused by winter and revealing that smooth, bright, healthy skin underneath, you will be in the perfect position to prevent any damage that will come in the summer. Equipping yourself with products that react well with your own skin tone will be beneficial not only to get you through the season, but through the rest of the year as well.

Gwen Lewis is a journalist who has a passion for beauty and makeup, and hopes that these tips and tricks help you have glowing summer skin.

(Picture courtesy www.burkewilliamsspa.com, toptenpk.com, greenbeautyteam.com)

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Beauty

Skin and hair care for Holi

We wait for Holi all year, don’t we? This year, celebrate Holi hassle-free with some skin and hair care tips.
by Deepa Mistry | @MissTipsytoes on Twitter

Holi, a festival of colours, brings everyone closer. We all start preparing way in advance for this festival, but along with other preparations, we should take care of our skin and hair as well.

In the riot of fun and colours, we end up ignoring our skin and hair. Hair exposed to chemical colours can become dull, dry and brittle. If your skin is acne or dandruff-prone, you need to take a lot of care as these colours can cause severe damage. Holi is the time when the skin loses it natural oils and softness, owing to the chemicals contained in colours, which can cause redness or rashes. Naturally, taking proper precautions cannot hurt. Start with using only organic or natural colours.

Care before Holi begins:

playing HoliIf you ordinarily wear lenses, don’t wear them while playing. Wear a pair of spectacles or sunglasses.

Remember what grandma always said: apply oil before you soak yourself in those colours. Apply generous amounts of coconut oil on your skin and hair, especially on your hands, elbows and legs. Castor oil is another alternative as well.

30 minutes before heading out to play, apply sunscreen on your face and hands. The colours and the heat can cause severe damage. If you suffer from acne, make sure you moisturise your skin well with a cream containing SPF. Make sure you apply lots of lip balm.

Wear dark clothes and preferably of a light material, and full sleeved to cover maximum skin to keep it protected. Avoid wearing jeans as they become heavy once soaked. Apply dark nail polish as light shades or no nail polish tend to let colour settle on your nails – this then becomes difficult to get rid of.

Don’t leave your hair open; tie it up in a ponytail. Wear a scarf or bandana or a cap to cover your hair and still look chic.

Avoid any salon treatments like waxing, threading, facials etc. 2 to 3 days prior to Holi.

Drink lots of water to keep your body hydrated at all times.

Care after playing Holi:

It is very difficult to get rid of colour instantly, hence rinse your hair with cold water as hot water tends to make colour stick to your roots.

Condition your hair with coconut oil or olive oil mixed with 1 tsp vinegar and rinse. If you have dry hair, follow the hot oil and towel treatment for the next following days for softer hair and to prevent hair fall.

Use raw milk and besan pack on your skin to make it smooth to remove all dryness and harshness caused by colour.

Soak fenugreek seeds in four tsp curd and apply it on your scalp. Keep for 30 minutes and then wash away with shampoo.

Keep washing off the colour whenever possible to prevent skin irritation. It might be difficult to carry rose water or cucumber juice with you, but keep it handy. It will soothe your skin.

If you suffer from any acute skin or hair troubles consult a physician.

We wish you all a safe and happy Holi!

(Pictures courtesy venues.meraevents.com, mattersindia.com)

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Beauty

Simple tips for healthy and happy skin

It doesn’t take effort, just some common sense, to get the skin you always wanted. Here’s what you can do.

Today’s busy life leaves us with not much time to take intensive care of the skin. At the same time, an inevitable fact is that taking good care of your skin now will lead to a healthy and glowing skin for all the years to come. In addition, you could also delay your skin’s aging process by resorting to a healthy lifestyle and good skin care. Therefore, saving your precious time and cutting through your tight routine, here are the top five tips, if followed well will ensure your skin is at its healthy and radiant best.

Sun protection. Often ignored, though one of the most crucial ways to keep your skin protected from outbreaks and patchiness is protecting it against the harmful rays of the sun. Understand in the fact that over exposure to the sun’s rays causes wrinkles, age spots and many other skin-related problems. Some of the recommended precautions suggest by numerous skin specialists are:

Use a sunscreen – Use a sunscreen with a minimum SPF of 15. In case of a long outdoor or relaxing by the pool, make sure to reapply the same after every two hours.

Space with shade – A little too much to ask for when on a vacation; however, as far as possible, try to stay out of the sun between 10 am to 4 pm, which is considered the harshest time of the Sun’s rays.

Cover up – Vacationing or not, get yourself well-covered up before stepping your foot in the sun. Consider dressing in long sleeves, long trousers and hats; if you are concerned about a fashion failure.

Stub the habit. A known fact is that smoking causes your skin to appear older than it really is. This, in other words, means that with every cigarette you puff, you tend to increase the chances of getting wrinkled skin. This ill habit also contributes to the depletion of oxygen and essential nutrients to your skin, reducing its good health and elasticity.

Gentle care. You need to understand that frequently cleansing and shaving your skin could take a toll on it for the worse. Here’s how you could add a gentle touch of radiance to your skin:

Reduce your bathing time – Taking a long hot water shower tends to extract all the essential oils from your skin, making it appear dry and flaky. What’s the solution? Reduce your bath time and shower with warm water instead of hot water.

Don’t use strong soaps – We all love fragrant and refreshing soap. However, did you know that strong soaps can strip crucial oils from your skin? In addition, changing your soap is soapamong the first five steps in any acne treatment, as it is advised by many skin experts.

Shave lightly – It is vital for you to protect your skin, and shaving works the other way around. Therefore, it is recommended that you lubricate and protect your skin by making use of a lotion or shaving gel. Also, ensure that the razor you use is clean and sharp.

Along with the above-mentioned tips, you should also make it a habit to follow a healthy diet to help you look and feel your best. Lastly, ensure to manage your stress well, as that too triggers unwanted acne breakouts and discoloration of the skin.

(Pictures courtesy salonnordic.com, corinnabsworld.blogspot.com, www.care2.com)

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Beauty

Oats for beauty

Oats are healthy both for the heart and your skin. Here’s presenting some simple oatmeal therapies for beautiful, stunning skin.
by Deepa Mistry

Whenever you jumpstart your day with a warm bowl of oats on a winter morning (though some of you might not be fond of the bland porridge which your doctor asked you to eat daily), bear in mind that oatmeal is a healthy alternative not just for a healthy heart but for beautiful, younger looking skin as well.

oatsOatmeal has inflammatory properties. It helps relieve itching and soothes and softens the skin. Since oats are a little rough, they are great exfoliates and make skin super soft. The amino acid present in them has the best balance of all cereals and is a great water-binding agent. This might sound surprising, but oats are also used to soothe burns, itchiness, mosquito bites and even chicken pox (does not cure, only gives relief from pain).  Oats have been clinically proven to help dry, itchy skin. You will find a variety of brands and these days, oats are available in various flavours and some quick to cook ones as well. But don’t buy those.

If you want oats to give you beautiful skin, try these tips:

– Face wash: Mix a handful of oats with a little warm water and mix till it looks little soapy. Massage on your face and leave it for 2 to 5 minutes and wash off. Do this every morning or night.

– Moisturiser and mask for wrinkles reduction: Mix equal amounts (approx 1 tsp) of oats, honey, olive oil and yogurt and apply on a clean face. Leave it for 20 to 30 minutes and wash off with cool water.

– Face scrub: Mix 1 tsp oats, 1 tsp brown sugar and 1 tsp honey. Scrub your face with this mix for 2 to 3 minutes and wash off with warm water.

– Oat bath: Place ½ cup rolled oats, ¼ cup powdered milk and 2 tsp honey in a tiny bag (preferably of muslin cloth). Hang the bag under the tap as you fill your bath tub or if you’re having a bucket bath hang it on the inside of the bucket, so running water disperses the goodness throughout your bath. This is the best way to rejuvenate skin.

– Banana bread mask: Whip together ½ really ripe mashed banana, 2 tsp ground oats, milk or cream, a pinch of nutmeg and 2 tsp whole wheat flour to get a smooth, paste-like mixture. Spread on clean face and leave for 10 minutes. Rinse thoroughly and pat dry.

– Stress relieving mask: Oats are used for relieving stress and exhaustion. All you need to do is have an oat bath or just mix a spoonful of oats, warm water, 1 tsp honey and 1 egg oatmeal face maskwhite to relax yourself.

– General skin problems: Oats can also be used to treat general skin problems like acne, dryness etc. Blend 2 tbsp oats, 1 tsp baking powder and just enough water to make a thick paste. Apply on a regular basis to avoid skin troubles.

We recommend you do a skin test before using certain ingredients on your skin, like baking soda, as it can have chemical reactions. Rest of the ingredients are safe to use as these are natural. Simple kitchen ingredients are just another to step to beautiful, glowing skin.

(Pictures courtesy beautyhealthtips.in, babyboomeradvisorclub.com, health.howstuffworks.com)

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Beauty

Your cosmetics could be harming you

How often do you check your cosmetics’ expiry dates? If you haven’t checked, you are putting your skin at risk.
by Deepa Mistry

One out of 10 women take notice of dates and use makeup products accordingly, while the rest are putting their skin at risk by using old cosmetics for several years, even though they begin to smell or get discoloured. Most women forget that cosmetics cannot be used forever. If you don’t keep track of when you purchased and started using certain types of makeup and skin care products, you could develop breakouts or have an allergic reaction.

Expired makeup and skin care products need to be thrown out after a certain period of time. Remember, the expiry date of a product begins the moment you open it but some products have a printed from-and-till dates because not all products have organic contents. Natural and organic products containing fewer or no preservatives have a shorter shelf life and therefore produce higher levels of bacteria.

Many ingredients in makeup can go bad and some can get contaminated by bacteria and other organisms that enter your pores or touch your skin. This can cause a host of skin and health problems. It’s always a good idea to keep a tab on your makeup products and see if anything has been unopened for a long time or has a peculiar and unfamiliar smell. Products such as mascara, lipstick, foundation, face creams, and blush acquire a funny smell past their expiry date. In most cases, areas around the eyes are affected first because they have the most sensitive skin.

caution expired cosmeticsSome of the effects of using out-of-date makeup and skin care products that have expired include the following:

– Skin infections

– Patches of acne

– Frequent breakouts and blemishes

– Excessively dry skin

– Skin discoloration

– Rashes

– Allergic skin reaction

– Eye infections

1. If you are facing any of the above problems, then it’s time for some cleansing. An important tip when it comes to your beauty hygiene routine is to wash your makeup brushes regularly and thoroughly, or you will continue to contaminate your skin and other products that require brushes.

2. Avoid sharing brushes and lip products with others. Usually at weddings, parties or even a ladies washroom, women share lipsticks and lip balms with unknown women. Avoid doing this. The other person might be suffering from skin problems, so don’t invite skin troubles.

3. So many times, we come across branded cosmetics that are sold on the streets and trains, but don’t get lured into buying them. There is a huge variety of cosmetic brands available in the market – don’t fall for the names you have never bought or heard of only because they are cheaper! Cosmetics and skin care products are such that need to be carefully bought and from genuine sellers only. We advise you to invest in cosmetic that’s branded and well reputed, bought only from a genuine store like in malls or stand-alone cosmetic stores.

Branded cosmetics are very expensive but the damage caused by cheaper quality or expired ones can damage your skin for life. If you can’t decide what brands or where to buy makeup from, consult a makeup or skin expert and only buy cosmetics as per skin type. Remember that not all cosmetics suit every skin.

Facial skin is the most sensitive in our body, pamper it but with love and special care!

(Pictures courtesy perfectmakeups.com, www.carbonated.tv)

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Band, Baaja, Bride!

D-day is nearing and you want to look your best. Try these tips to look great on your big day.
by Deepa Mistry

Most girls dream of growing up and having a fairytale wedding or a filmi wedding and to top it all, no one does it like we Indians do! Weddings in India are always an affair to remember, especially with all the band-baaja, dancing and a wide spread of cuisines from around the world!

Anyone in the midst of their own wedding fever will know the number of arrangements and tiny details that need seeing to in that last fortnight before the wedding. Till the last moment it can be utterly overwhelming for the bride. A bride needs to look her best all the time and the most basic and simplest trick is to stay relaxed. We know you’ve heard this a million times, while thousands of thoughts circle round your head, but remember it’s your big day and all you need to focus is on yourself.

10 tips to look stunning on your D-Day:

Face: Make sure you invest in a great skin treatment weeks before the date. A day or two before your wedding, fix an appointment and spend a good amount of time getting a facial, a haircut (nothing drastic), and a body massage, and you will shine for the next few days. Moisturise your skin well even the night before the wedding day and avoid too much sunlight exposure. Use a cleansing lotion to clean the skin pores, and an eye cream would be great for your dark circles. Keep your body and skin hydrated.

hands and nailsHands and nails: Not only will everyone want to look at your wedding rings or henna, but your hands will be photographed as well. You’ll definitely want your nails to look your best! While getting your wedding manicure, be sure to take someone with you. Your friend can assist with the little things that can possibly ruin finger nails, such as taking money out of your wallet and opening doors or driving. Give your fingernails at least 30 minutes to dry completely before you try to do anything else.

Hair: Get your hair trials done well in advance. If you plan to get a haircut, try to avoid something new. When you have your hair styled for your wedding, don’t let your stylist pull it back so tightly that it hurts. You may think you’ll get used to the tugging feeling on your scalp, but more likely you’ll end up with a headache. Start prepping months before the day, and then have final colour done a few days before. Never make a drastic change for your wedding day, and remember that your colour should enhance the way you look, creating a soft halo of beauty. It should not be the standout feature. Get deep-conditioning treatments leading up to the wedding day, and ask your hairdresser to use a shine-enhancing gloss on your final colour treatment.

Skin: Most of your blouses are going to be backless or the wedding gown will be a deep or backless one. Make sure you get a good treatment if you suffer from back acne. Back or body polishing would be ideal for your wedding day.

Eyes and lips: You can take a few extra steps to make regular lipstick more long-wearing. Before applying lip colour, smooth a bit of foundation over your lips – this will make your lipstick go on more evenly as well as help it stay on longer. Outline your lips with a lip liner, then fill in lips with the liner as well. Using a lip brush, apply one coat of lip colour.  Don’t go overly dramatic with the eyes by mixing colours. Ask your make-up artist for options before finalising the eye makeup. It’s your wedding day and you’re going to cry. Wear waterproof eye-makeup, and in particular, waterproof mascara.

Dress: The most important thing is dress fittings. Even if it’s last minute, check all your outfit fittings, and pick the correct dress fittingslingerie – you don’t want to be uncomfortable on your wedding day.

Shoes: Buy two pairs of shoes. Try them out at home because you are going to be on your feet for the entire day and you don’t want to be tired because of painful shoes. If you aren’t used to wearing very high heels, don’t buy them. Keep an extra pair handy in case you have trouble with the former one.

Personal care: Avoid any kind of waxing just before your wedding. Plan it days in advance so you don’t have last minute breakouts. If your skin is sensitive, don’t go for facials with heavy products, use milder or natural ones. Brighten your smile; visit your dentist for the best treatments for pearly white teeth.

Emergency kit: You never know what will actually happen at the wedding so it is advisable to be prepared with a touch up kit. Pack lots of tissues and wet wipes, an eye liner, a lip liner, a lip gloss and a compact powder, lipstick, blush and eye colours in a convenient case so someone around you can keep it handy always.

Smell good: You don’t want to wear just any old scent on your wedding day. Pick the best because the one you pick is always going to remind you of your special day. Take a girlfriend to a fragrance shop with you – but only try three at any given time.

So get ready to put your best foot forward and dazzle everyone with that gorgeous smile and stunning looks!

(Pictures courtesy www.sayshaadi.com, www.sheknows.ca, giigoo.org)

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